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INDIANAPOLIS - Music for All has announced the music education leaders who will be inducted into the 2019 Bands of America Hall of Fame: Gayl W. Doster, Robert W. Smith, and David Starnes.

The Bands of America Hall of Fame recognizes individuals who have had a positively life-changing impact on Music for All and Bands of America programs, as well as in music education. 2019 members will be inducted at a ceremony during the Gala Awards Banquet of the Music for All National Festival, presented by Yamaha, on Saturday, March 16 in Indianapolis. Hall of Fame members are permanently recognized at Music for All’s Indianapolis headquarters.

Gayl W. Doster

Gayl W. Doster is the Chairman of the Board of Directors of Music for All. Mr. Doster first connected with Music for All as an event volunteer and has served since not only as Chairman of the Board, but as a significant donor along with his wife Beverly. He is the retired President and Chief Operating Officer of Brooks Drug, Inc. Mr. Doster is a graduate of the Indiana University Kelley School of Business. While at Indiana University, he was a member of the Marching Hundred and numerous other musical organizations and is a life member of Kappa Kappa Psi. He serves on the Indiana University Eskenazi Museum of Art National Advisory Board and is a board member and Co-Treasurer of the Lawrence Central High School Performing Arts Association. Mr. Doster has been inducted into the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants Business and Industry Hall of Fame, is a member of the Indiana University School of Business Alumni Association’s Academy of Alumni Fellows, is the 2009 recipient of the International Festival & Events Association Zambelli Internationale Volunteer of the Year Award, and was awarded the Indiana University Distinguished Alumni Service Award in 2010.

Robert W. Smith

Robert W. Smith is one of the most popular and prolific composers in America today, with more than 800 publications.Mr. Smith’s credits include many compositions and productions in all areas of the music field. His original works for winds and percussion have been programmed by countless military, university, high school, and middle school bands throughout the United States, Canada, Europe, Australia, South America, and Asia, and have become standards for developing bands throughout the world.

Mr. Smith’s music has received extensive airplay on major network television as well as inclusion in multiple motion pictures. As a conductor, clinician and keynote speaker, Mr. Smith has performed throughout North America, Asia, South America, Europe and Australia. Mr. Smith is a long-time member of Music for All’s faculty at the Summer Symposium and Music for All National Festival. He serves as the division coordinator for the Middle School/Young Teacher track of the Directors’ Academy at the Summer Symposium.

Mr. Smith is currently teaching in the Music Industry program at Troy University in Troy, Alabama.

David Starnes

David Starnes is Assistant Professor/Director of Athletic Bands, where he directs the Pride of the Mountains Marching Band and the Symphonic Band. Prior to coming to Western Carolina, Starnes was the founding Director of Bands at Kennesaw Mountain High School in Kennesaw, Georgia, where he served for 11 years. His bands performed at Bands of America Championships, earning accolades on the Regional and National level. He is currently a Music for All Educational Consultant for student programs, is the camp director for the Student Divisions of the Summer Symposium, and program director for the Bands of America Honor Band, which appeared in the Tournament of Roses® Parade in Pasadena, California in 2005, 2009, 2013, and 2017, and will appear again in 2021.

Mr. Starnes earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Music Education. He is sought out nationally and internationally as an adjudicator, clinician, guest conductor and creative designer. He serves as an adjudicator for several state, national and international organizations, including Music for All and Bands of America. He currently serves as Design Advisor for Carolina Crown Drum and Bugle Corps.

Music for All is grateful that weather conditions allowed completion of the entirety of the Preliminary Competition at the Bands of America Regional at Bedford, TX. We were not as fortunate during Finals. Due to heavy rain and accompanying lightning, a weather delay began during Wakeland High School’s finals performance. After monitoring the storm system with the aid of local authorities and the THOR lightning warning system, the remaining Finals performances were cancelled due to continued severe weather in the area. We would like to thank all involved in ensuring the safety of band members, spectators, and staff during the weather emergency.

The overriding ticketing policy for Music for All/Bands of America events is that tickets are “non- refundable.” Nevertheless, where extraordinary circumstances, like severe weather, cause the cancellation of all or a substantial portion of an event, Music for All has established refund polices for that event and offered full or partial refunds as appropriate.

We request that our patrons note that the costs of the event (stadium rental, stadium personnel, judges’ fees and other expenses) were still incurred and paid by Music for All. We invite you to consider foregoing any refund, and instead donate the value of your refund in support of these expenses. Thank you in advance if you choose to donate your refund, and we will provide you with an acknowledgement of your charitable contribution.Following are Music for All’s policies concerning ticket refunds for the 2018 Bedford Regional:Cooperative Tickets (issued to bands) - No refund Day-Pass – $9 refund Adult Finals Ticket - $18 refund Discount Finals Ticket - $13 refund

Alternatively, you may email it toThis email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.or fax your request to 317.524.6200. If you choose to donate the value of your refund to Music for All, please indicate this in your request. Refund requests must be received by November 15, 2018 and will be processed by December 31, 2018.

Should you have any questions or concerns regarding our refund policies for the Bedford Regional, please do not hesitate to contact us at 800.848.2263.

Posted Saturday, October 6, 2018 at 9:26 PM CT – Due to ongoing inclement weather, Music for All has canceled Finals for the Bands of America Regional at Pennington Field in Bedford, TX tonight.

The decision was made for the safety and well being of the participants and spectators.

Music for All's official policy for Bands of America events is that tickets are non-refundable, however, Music for All may offer full or partial refunds as appropriate at a later time. Please keep your ticket stub and visit www.musicforall.org next week for further information on possible refunds. Refunds are not available on site.

Performances at the Bands of America Regional in Bedford, TX are being suspended as of 8:00 p.m. CT due to inclement weather. The safety of the students, spectators, and everyone at the event are our priority. We will post what time performances will resume as soon as information is available.

by Doug Hassell, Director of Bands, Carroll H.S., IN

Seeing our kids perform as part of the Bands of America Bowling Green Regional yesterday was so cool for multiple reasons. First and probably the most obvious, I love this band program at Carroll. These kids, the parents, the staff, bus drivers…everyone that it takes to teach and move the small army of people that is the Charger Pride for any event, I applaud ALL of you. Quite literally, each one of you plays an integral part in allowing these kids to be rock stars for eight minutes on a football field. At Carroll, we talk a lot about how disproportionate the amount of time spent in preparation is to the time actually in performance…it’s practically insane how much time we spend together…not performing. So, we believe that THAT TIME has to be valuable and meaningful for all involved...just as much as the performance time (if not more-so).

Yesterday was a minute-by-minute reminder of that.

Being fortunate enough to have our kids perform again in finals amped that whole experience up, but here’s the really cool part – I got to see not only our band family, but several others doing the same thing. At BGSU, literally EVERYWHERE you looked you could see moms fixing uniform problems; dads setting up and tearing down props; staff members and directors listening to Judge commentary; Judges smiling, listening, watching, giving feedback on current achievement as well as information for future growth…and the kids – so many band kids, smiling…laughing…focusing…singing…playing…marching…dancing…crying…eating…interacting…growing.

It got me thinking: If standardized tests were administered like marching bands competitions, the people who grade them – and often those who write them, the test company people – would be standing in front of the students, looking into their eyes, seeing them sweat, smelling the odor of their efforts, watching them breathe…while they are taking their “test.” If standardized tests were administered like marching band competitions, the test company people would assess the students in exact same audience as the parents who put them there, would stand on the same “performance field” with those who taught the students, and would provide live real-time feedback to both the students and the teachers, in the context of the performance environment in meaningful context with direct application to why what the student is doing is good or not.

As I have listened to some judge commentary, one thing that is clear: those who do the adjudicating are more than likely all of our biggest fans. They’re rooting for us, they’re desiring to be entertained and engaged by our students and the shows they perform because they know how valuable what we do is. They also know how hard what we do is, and they recognize that. I love that people who TRULY UNDERSTAND what we as educators are trying to do in spite of the obstacles placed before us by education lawmakers are rooting for us and they are helping us get better.

We are constantly seeing on both public news and social media how we need to have people who can be accountable, authentic, creative, independent, and also work as part of a team where they understand that their actions at any point can have long-lasting effects on others around them. Last night, I was fortunate enough to be a small part of seeing thousands upon thousands of teenagers pour their hearts into something that will only be a small part of their high school career, but in all likelihood, will be how many of them define and remember their high school career…and probably have an impact on the kind of person they grow up to be.

MANY KUDOS to all involved in running, participating in, watching, and performing in not just the one event we were at, but to ALL of them throughout the country. THIS Is where some of the best learning and growing in the country is happening…on the field.

Doug Hassell is in his 20th year in public education in the state of Indiana and is in his 7th year at Carroll High School in his hometown of Fort Wayne IN, where he also received his Bachelor’s Degree in Music Education from Indiana-Purdue University @ Fort Wayne (Now Purdue Fort Wayne).

Editor's note: Thank you to Mr. Hassell for his permission to share this post.